Chapter 72

Chapter 72

As dusk was falling, the Liang residence was ablaze with light.

Liang Yun stepped down from the carriage in the night. Nanny Chen greeted him and said, "The old madam is summoning the Duke."

Liang Yun's composed gaze met Nanny Chen's, who knew that the old madam had been quite upset today. Concerned for her master's health, she couldn't resist whispering to Liang Yun, "The old madam interrogated Third Madam this morning and is now furious..."

Given Liang Yun's disposition, how could he fail to grasp the implication of such a hint?

His brow creased slightly, he cast a fleeting glance towards the Zhuo Jin Garden. Without breaking stride, he lowered his gaze and made his way to the Rong Shou Hall.

Upon entering the room, Liang Yun immediately knelt before the old madam in silence.

The old madam had been anxiously awaiting Liang Yun, and now seeing her grandson kneel before her as soon as he arrived, her temper ignited.

Indeed, his candid demeanor left her at a loss for words.

In her twilight years, the old madam had grown more gentle, as she no longer involved herself in family affairs.

But in her younger days, she had been a paragon of strictness, especially with Liang Yun, who was to inherit the family business. Though she harbored a soft spot for him, she maintained an impartial facade with all her grandsons.

Fortunately, among the three grandsons in the family, each had their quirks, but none were without merit. Particularly this eldest grandson, who had been a paragon of intellect and virtue from a tender age. Regardless of her exacting standards, she found nothing but pride in this grandson.

From his earliest years, Liang Yun had been flawless.

But... but now?

The old madam gazed at Liang Yun, kneeling with an unyielding posture, and felt a pang of incomprehension.

Her countenance was somber, her lips trembling faintly, "Yun Er, your grandmother is not without reason. Don't you have anything to explain to me?"

She remained incredulous, unable to accept that her grandson had strayed so far.

Could there be another reason?

But Liang Yun prostrated himself before her with a resounding kowtow. The nocturnal breeze swept through the ajar door, caressing his back and softly tousling the ebony locks at his temples. His profound gaze held no evasion.

"Are you... reluctant to part with that child?" She preferred to think he had grown attached to the unborn child, a bond too precious to sever.

"Grandmother, the fault lies entirely with me," Liang Yun said.

This was clearly the conjecture the old madam least wanted to hear. Her lips quivered for a long time, and she couldn't help but cough.

Seeing his aged grandmother like this, Liang Yun's eyes showed a hint of concern.

"I have let down our ancestors and you, Grandmother."

The old madam looked at his straightforward gaze. His apology was sincere, yet his back was straight, and his eyes showed no avoidance or unease from start to finish.

She closed her cloudy old eyes, her chest feeling increasingly heavy.

At this point, she knew that many things were better left unsaid, as saying more would be useless.

"Did you say something to that girl from the Yuan family? After she returned, the Zhenguo Duke's residence has already started looking for a new match for her."

Liang Yun silently acknowledged.

"Young men and women, it's natural for feelings to develop between you. Since I initially advised you to take on a second wife, I also bear some responsibility today. It was... somewhat expected. But the Miss Yuan I carefully chose for you is tolerant and kind-hearted. Even if you marry her, it won't interfere with your relationship with A Ruan in the future..."

"Grandmother, as I've said before, I won’t marry, let alone have two wives..." Liang Yun's face was tense, his eyes flashing with pain.

The old lady couldn’t help feeling exasperated: "Your relationship with her was meant to be a joint succession! What is a joint succession? She isn’t your primary wife, even if you share a bed with her every night, you are not her legitimate husband. Her children are part of the third branch and have no connection to you! Have you gone mad?"

A complex, unreadable expression crossed Liang Yun’s downcast eyes.

But seeing the old lady’s frail condition, Liang Yun’s heart ached. He knew anything he said now would only make things worse, so Liang Yun ultimately just silently bowed his head without speaking.

The old lady's face was very weary, "I’ve spent my entire life dedicated to the Liang family. The Liang family was so prosperous when your grandfather was alive. But he passed too soon, and the Liang family fell apart overnight. Your father was only nine years old, and your uncle and aunt were even younger. The clan members took advantage of our orphaned family relentlessly. In the days after your grandfather passed, I wept myself to sleep nearly every night, but during the day I had to dry my tears and uphold the dignity of the matriarch, raising and educating the children, taking care of the whole family. Do you know how exhausted I was during those years? I refused to let your grandfather’s legacy fall into the hands of outsiders, I was determined to prove myself to my sisters-in-law. I worked hard to raise your father and uncles, urging them to improve, teaching them that in the future they must restore the family's glory. And what did it amount to? Your aunt resents me for marrying her off to a faraway place for the sake of the Liang family. Your father resents me too, for pushing him so hard since he was a child, preferring to stay in Hedong year after year rather than see me... All these years, I’ve worried and plotted for the Liang family, wearing myself out, and now I end up wrong inside and out. Now even you are defying me?"

"Tell me, after I'm gone, will this grand Liang estate fall into disarray once more?"

Liang Yun's expression was calm, he comforted the silver-haired old woman before him, assuring her: "Grandmother, rest assured, that day will certainly never come. Your grandson understands the sacrifices you’ve made, and uncle understands even more the principle that prosperity and decline are shared. Second brother will surely mature in time, with me keeping watch, no major missteps will plague the family."

But the old lady said: "What of the third branch? And your mother? I don’t ask much of you, I don’t have much time left, and I can’t see far into the future. There are just two things I want you to swear to your ancestors."

She sighed and said: "First, in the future you must not act recklessly, you must not go any further, the father of all her children will always be the third brother. Whether the child in her belly is a boy or girl, once born it must be given to your mother to raise, consider it as making amends to your mother! You must not interfere in this matter. Second, you must never take on the role of a father in your lifetime, can you do that?"

The old lady knew this grandson too well, in the past she thought his temperament was the best, never doubted that he would have his own selfish desires.

But now she wasn't so sure.

Emotions are the most irrational thing in the world, for the clear-headed, it is poison, so she couldn't help but probe.

Liang Yun's knuckles under his sleeves turned white from clenching, he evaded the main issue and said: "I can never act as a father in my lifetime, but how can a newborn child be separated from its mother? Perhaps we can discuss it when it's older."

Discuss it when it's older?

The old lady couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

He knows I don’t have long, so he’s humoring me now, but once I’m gone, he’ll act like nothing happened!

The old lady tightly closed her eyes, disappointed, and waved her hand to signal him to leave.

After a while, she heard Nanny Chen return to report that the Duke had gone back to the Daytime Splendor Garden.

The old lady's eyelids fluttered, and she quickly said: "You follow him, make sure they sleep in separate beds tonight, they must not act recklessly again."

She now cast all thoughts of reputation aside, young men and women can be careless, and she wasn't inexperienced, how could she not know?

Her great-grandson was now the most important!

Thinking about it, if Wei Shi found out, she would surely raise hell! The more the old lady thought about it, the more her head ached, she couldn't help but clean up after her eldest grandson.

In the past she thought her eldest grandson was the most considerate, the most well-behaved and polite, but now he was the most unruly! Even worse than Liang Zhi...

...

The room was lit with lamps, empty and silent, only the flickering shadows of the candlelight.

As soon as Gui Niang saw the Duke arrive, she hurried out from next door and said in a low voice: "After the lady returned, she shut herself in her room and barely ate two bites of food."

Liang Yun slightly frowned, then had someone bring fresh food. As he gave the order, his ears twitched, and he turned to see a figure slowly emerge from behind the window.

Between them was a thin layer of window gauze, through which the graceful figure of the girl inside could be vaguely seen.

Her long black hair, reaching down to her hips, fluttered as she moved.

Ying Shi slightly raised her eyes to look at Liang Yun, and coldly asked him: "What did grandmother say to you?"

Liang Yun entered the room unhurriedly, took off his outer robe and handed it to the maid by his side, then took a towel to wipe his hands.

"It was just a routine check-in. She’s never meddled in the younger generation’s affairs," he said in a slightly deep voice.

Ying Shi wasn’t buying it. She’d heard about it earlier today—how could a routine check-in involve something like that?

After a whole day, Ying Shi still felt her scalp tingle and her face flush at the thought.

She pressed her cold hand against her cheek to cool it, then, after a moment of thought, said calmly, "This isn’t good for us."

Liang Yun gazed at her calmly for a moment.

He knew she resented him for making her shoulder the blame. Her sensitivity must have left her feeling ashamed, and he’d been too distant at the time, leaving her feeling helpless.

But he knew the real issue between them wasn’t any of this—

Liang Yun didn’t linger on those thoughts. He looked away and said simply, "I heard you didn’t eat dinner. Let me join you for a meal, and we can talk afterward."

Ying Shi tucked her hands behind her back, pursing her lips as though deep in thought.

Liang Yun didn’t need to look to know her hands were probably twisted together, a little habit of hers when she was conflicted.

Sure enough, after a moment, the young girl, having finally made up her mind, softly murmured in agreement and turned to sit down by the couch.

She’d agreed to his simple request.

This made Liang Yun feel she did care about him.

Though not much, and though it still couldn’t compare to her feelings for his brother.

But at least, after some thought, she’d occasionally give in to him. She also... had some attachment to him.

This was good enough. Slowly, it was at least a good start.

At least... they had a child now.

Whether the child would call him father no longer mattered to him.

They had a long life ahead, countless decades, enough time to completely forget some people.

He didn’t need to rush. He would take it slowly, quietly, and gradually seep into every part of her life.

Ying Shi had been hungry for a long time, and now she didn’t want to engage with him, so she ate in silence, focusing on her food.

She stuffed her cheeks full, then slowly chewed.

Liang Yun couldn’t help but find her eating habits amusing. He occasionally added food to her bowl, mixing in some of her favorite dishes along with the vegetables, so she wouldn’t feel repulsed.

He didn’t touch his own chopsticks. It seemed that watching her eat was enough to satisfy him.

Ying Shi suddenly stopped eating.

Liang Yun's hand, which was adding food to her bowl, also paused. He thought she had bitten her tongue, as she had done last time.

But instead, Ying Shi quickly swallowed the food in her mouth and then looked down at her belly with wide eyes. She blinked, then slowly placed her hand on her slightly protruding abdomen.

Her belly was still very small, often silent, giving Ying Shi no other sensations.

But just now, the little life inside had quietly moved...

Before she even spoke, Liang Yun understood.

There was hardly anything in this world he didn’t understand. He even explained to her, "It's normal for the baby to start moving at four months; there's no need to worry."

But Ying Shi suddenly reached across the table and grabbed his hand.

Despite their height difference, his tall frame yielded to her guiding hand.

Ying Shi’s heart raced. She pressed Liang Yun’s hand to her belly, tilting her head up to meet his gaze, her eyes smiling into crescents.

"I'm not worried, I'm happy... he finally moved just now." Her voice was soft, with a slight nasal twang, warm enough to melt the coldest ice.

Liang Yun’s gaze softened as it rested on the gentle swell beneath his hand, where new life was growing.

His face stayed calm, but his breathing was tight, betraying his nerves as a first-time father, his palm growing damp with sweat.

Just four months in, after the first kick, there was no sign of another for a while.

But the new parents waited patiently, sitting close, their breaths mingling as they anticipated their little one.

Breath by breath.

Time slipped by unnoticed, the room lit only by the flickering candlelight.

Liang Yun opened his eyes. When no movement came from beneath his hand, his gaze drifted upward.

To her flawless, radiant face.

She leaned toward him, her eyes deep-set, lashes curved and lifted.

Her lips, small yet full, glistened like a water-dipped cherry. In the spring warmth, she wore just a thin, cloud-patterned shirt, her slender neck and smooth collarbone exposed like porcelain.

Ying Shi, oblivious, leaned into his embrace, her soft breath wrapping around him.

Ying Shi was startled by his sudden closeness.

She was confused by his sudden shift—from touching the baby to...

"Mm..."

But he was always skilled, knowing just how to touch her, and Ying Shi couldn’t resist his gentle kisses.

She hid her face, breathless, as she pushed him back.

"Didn’t Grandmother talk to you today?"

Her eyes fluttered as his deep voice brushed her neck, "Ying Shi, you want this too, don’t you?"

Ying Shi bit her lip, "I don’t... I’m scared..."

"I checked—it’s safe after three months. If you’re scared, we can try other ways." His hot breath was against her ear.

She found it humiliating, unable to overcome her mental block, yet her body felt weak, like clay.

Yet she was overly sensitive, maybe from past playfulness, and pregnancy heightened it. He knew her body too well, every inch.

Ying Shi could only let him hold her, gently caressing, trembling, even her calves were shaking.

Liang Yun lowered his head to kiss her neck, gently laying her on the pillow, his hand moving over her skirt, touching her trembling, muddy body.

Too embarrassed by her body’s response, she kept her eyes shut.